


Restraints

by WinterWitch611



Series: Whumptober 2018 [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-10 22:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16463552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterWitch611/pseuds/WinterWitch611
Summary: Clint wakes up and realizes he's locked up in the Tower's medical floor. He has no idea why or who could be behind this. All he knows is he needs to get the hell out and warn Bucky to stay away. Something seems really off here... and after speaking to Tony he KNOWS something is off here!A sweet caring nurse takes pity on him and helps him get free.But is he really free?





	Restraints

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of a Whumptober Tumblr Challenge.

“Let me outta here, goddamnit!” Clint is screaming and pounding on the door to the room he woke up in. He has no idea why he’s locked in the windowless room. “What the hell is going on? Why am I locked in here?” he asks. No one replies. There is a camera hanging in the corner of the ceiling, too high for him to reach. He knows he’s being watched, but by whom?

~~~~~~~~~~

“We can’t keep him in there forever,” a tall, thin nurse says to a grumpy looking doctor. “You know, Dr. Andrews, he’ll continue to pound on the door. He’s an Avenger, he’ll find a way out even if it kills him.”

“Listen, Miss Keller, I’m well aware of who he is and what he’s capable of. But as long as Mr. Stark wants him here he’ll stay here. Get him sedated again and call security. I think restraints are in order.”

He dismissively walks away without another word. Something about this situation seems off.  _ Why would they place Hawkeye in confinement? He’s an Avenger not a lunatic,  _ she thinks to herself. 

She logs the time in her chart and punches a code into the medication dispensary. This doesn’t seem right either. The poor man has only been here for a few hours and they’re ready to sedate him again. They shot him full of tranquilizers when he arrived, he just woke up and now she’s being told to do it all over again. It seems excessive. She’s normally not one to disobey an order from a physician; but there’s something in this man’s eyes that make her think they’ve got this all wrong. She has a small window of opportunity and decides to take it.

“Agent Barton, you need to calm down. Please, I’m trying to help you,” she pleads. “My name is Mandi Keller and I don’t think you belong in here.”

“Why should I trust you?! How did I even end up here? LET ME OUT!!” Clint is about to lose it. He doesn’t like to be in confined spaces against his will. He begins pounding on the door again. The metal is beginning to bend slightly. He gives Nurse Keller no choice. 

“I need security on the medical floor. Evaluation room four. Restraints required.” she says into the radio in her hand. Not how she wanted this to go at all.  

~~~~~~~~~~

“I can’t believe you had me committed! What the hell, Tony? I was in the middle of a mission and some thugs ambushed me at the safe house. That was your doing? WHY?” 

Tony is there to try to calm Clint down. Maybe if he’s successful the sedatives won’t be necessary any more. He didn’t want it to come to this but they need to flush the Winter Soldier out of hiding. The best way to do that is lock his boyfriend in medical. The one place he hates more than anywhere on the planet.

“I’m sorry, Clint. It’s nothing personal,” he begins to explain. He sits back, lets out a long sigh and continues,“it’s just business…” 

“You don’t understand. I need to get out of here. He knows something happened to me. He can’t risk coming back here, Tony.” He struggles against the reinforced straps holding him down. “I have to tell him I’m okay and to stay away!”

And that is exactly what Tony doesn’t want to happen. He feels terrible treating his teammate like this but when he stumbled upon the secret relationship he was having with the world’s deadliest assassin he felt and intervention was needed. Bucky Barnes may be free of Hydra’s control but that doesn’t make him safe or sane. 

Steve is on an extended mission and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for Tony to rid himself of any competition for Steve’s attention. Saving mankind, from a notorious killer seems like gravy. With Bucky being accused of a high profile assassination, Steve will think his childhood pal has gone to ground never to be seen again. Two birds, one really big traitorous stone.  

Clint is not done trying to get free. He wants out of this bed and out of this damn place. He didn’t want them to find out he had contact with Bucky. Not until they were able to clear his name once and for all. Clint made a terrible mistake calling him when other people were around and now he’s paying the price. He misses his boyfriend. His friends don’t know about their relationship. He hadn’t gotten around to telling anyone.Then Bucky was accused of an assassination he couldn’t possibly have committed since they were together at the time. Bucky didn’t want his boyfriend involved. Using him as an alibi seemed wrong. He was sure the investigation would likely lead to Clint being accused of being an accomplice. He wasn’t going to stick around and watch that happen.

Clint has no idea Tony is behind it all.

“...Clint, you’re only here until the CIA gets what they need. Calm down or it’s going to be a lot harder on you,” Tony whispers to him. 

“Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. NOW!” he spits through gritted teeth as quietly as he can. His temper is flaring. He just wants to get out of here and find Bucky. 

“Relax. You’ll be out soon. I have a feeling your boyfriend isn’t going to wait long to try to break you outta here.”  

“When I get out of here you’re done, Stark. Do you honestly think Steve is going to be okay with any of this? Have you lost your goddamn mind!”

“No, Steve won’t be okay. But I’ll be there to console him,” Tony says as an evil grin spreads across his face. “I’ll take _ really _ good care of him, don’t you worry.”

Nurse Keller is watching and listening in on the exchange between Tony and Clint. She hears every disgusting word. This is too much. She wishes early retirement was an option, but not a chance. She needs the money now more than ever thanks to her irresponsible ex-husband and the debt he left her in.  

Tony emerges from Clint’s room and asks to have a word with her privately.  _ Oh this is not good, not good at all _ , she thinks as she follows him to an empty exam room.

~~~~~~~~~~   

After the doctor makes his nightly rounds he lets her know he’s leaving. “Goodnight, Miss Keller. Keep an eye on Agent Barton. You know what to do if he acts up again,” he instructs.

“Yes, doctor. I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a nice night,” she replies.

She waits half an hour to be sure he’s gone and then makes her move. When she unlocks the door to Clint’s room he startles. He must be expecting some more sedatives, or worse.

“It’s okay Agent Barton, I’m here to help you,” she assures him as she begins to release him from his restraints. “I heard everything Mr. Stark said to you. I can’t be a party to this. It’s not right.”

“Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me. I have to get out of here before Bucky walks into their trap. Are you sure you can get me down to the ground floor without getting caught?”, he asks.

“Yes. Follow me. I have a plan.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Mandi’s plan works perfectly and they make it safely to the service corridor on the ground floor. A couple more hallways and Clint will be free of the Tower and free to find his boyfriend. 

“Here, take my cell phone. Good luck, Agent Barton. I hope you find him before they do.”

He takes the cell phone and then brings her hand up to his lips. He kisses the back of her hand and thanks her again for all her help. She watches him round the next corner and exhales in a sigh of relief. _ I can’t take much more of this  _ she thinks to herself.

Clint continues down the corridor. He knows once he passes the elevators he’s home free. He hears voices approaching so he waits for them to pass. 

“...I knew this would work. I told you, assholes. When I want something I get it. No negotiation.”

_ Tony… what the hell is he talking about…  _ Clint peers around the corner and his heart sinks. 

“NO!!! You sonofabitch, Stark!!! NOOOOOOO!!!” Clint screams and runs toward the elevator but he’s too late. The doors are closing. He sees Bucky, muzzled and restrained, eyes pleading. 

Tony’s waves as Clint sinks to the floor, his heartbeat slowing by the second. Nurse Keller pulls the syringe out of his neck and watches as he falls forward. 

“Sorry, Agent Barton, it’s nothing personal... it’s just business.”

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Caramell0w


End file.
